What are the Different Leadership Functions of a Manager?

Leadership refers to that skill of a manager which enables him to persuade subordinates to apply themselves with zeal and confidence.

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From the sociological viewpoint, leadership functions involve the setting goals, creating and moulding organisation and reconciling internal and environmental forces. Leadership gives character to the organisation by setting goals and defining the policies to attain them.

The leader takes into account what the enterprise has accomplished, evaluates the future environment and prescribes the short-term and long-term goals.

Secondly, the leader has the task of building goals and policies into the social structure of the enterprises; it means shaping the character of the organisation.

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Thirdly, the leader must defend the integrity of the enterprise. Mere survival is looked upon as leadership failure. An organisation must grow; otherwise it may have to wind up.

Fourthly, the leader has to manage internal conflict. With the growth of the organisation structure, there develop many sub-organisations and the struggle among competing interests requires the attention of the manager.

Leadership must be exercised in order that new balances of power have the effect of changing the direction of the firm. The leadership function is to win the consent of the several groups in order to maximize their zeal and confidence.

Directing is the essence of leadership. An organization cannot function on the basis of two-person relationship. If two or more people share the direction of an institution on an equal basis, it would be formless and unable to act.

This is the basic reason for utilising the superior-subordinate group concept. This permits the interlinking of groups through the chain of managers and makes large-scale organisations possible. Direction is provided by a manager who has leadership ability.

The effectiveness of the manager in initiating change in organised enterprise depends upon his behavioural skill in getting simultaneous action from his subordinates. A successful leader cannot permit initiatives from other sources to intrude into his group because such diffusion would destroy his own effectiveness. An effective manager must be alert to and anticipate erosions from his leadership.

Finally, the leader must act. He must not wait for others to take the initiative and he cannot depend upon his subordinates to act in his place.

Responsiveness to the initiatives of subordinates is an equally important aspect of leadership. The superiors should provide assistance and offer technical know-how only when the subordinate fumbles.

Lastly, the subordinates of a particular manager are quick to sense whether their leader effectively represents the interests of the whole group to his superiors. This is particularly important where subordinates initiate action that can be accomplished by superiors. If their own superior is unable to get a positive response, he loses his effectiveness as a leader.